Should I buy this one?

I am looking for an inexpensive Normal for a pet. I found one on ballboutiques.com for the price I am looking for. The only things that gives me pause is that he is live fed, and I want to frozen feed. Also, the owner has not handled him, which gives me pause since this will be a snake that is around two little girls.

I tend to listen to my gut feeling, but I am not an expert on these things so I figured I would ask for opinions. What do you think? If you don't think it is what I am looking for, could you recommend another quality place where I can get one for about 75 or less shipped?

Thanks!
Christina

Are there are breeders that are local to you? That way you can handle the animal yourself and see if it "speaks" to you.

Also, finding a snake, even a normal, for less than $75 shipped is going to be tough. Shipping alone can run around $60, plus the cost of shipping boxes, heat/cool packs, etc...it's not cheap to ship. For that price, you're basically asking for a free snake...

I live in very rural Montana, so no one is local to me.

What would be a usual price to pay for a Normal with shipping, in your experience?

i would find some local breeders, or maybe a reptile expo/show in your area. there you can see the snake before you buy it.

also where are you located, maybe a member is near you and has some animals for sale.

I live near Glasgow, MT. We are three hours from a Walmart, so I would be pretty surprised if there were any breeders around here. There are certainly drawbacks to living in the boonies.

Hi, and welcome to BP.net! :handshake


As Brad mentioned, when you include shipping, it's pretty hard to find a BP for less than $75. But when you consider the long-term commitment you're making, as well as the possibility of troubles and vet bills due to buying "on the cheap"....$75-$100 really isn't that much to spend. (In MY opinion. ;) )

If you live someplace that has reptile shows or expos, you might consider browsing there as well. Look a breeder in the face and shake his hand and look for that animal that just "speaks to you" as Brad also mentioned.

As for buying this particular one from Ballboutique..... I'm assuming you're looking at a baby BP that has hatched out this year. Most breeders start their hatchlings out on live prey to make sure they eat right off the bat. If you get the snake young, you have a very reasonable chance at successfully switching it over to f/t. It just may require a bit of patience and persistence on your part.

And as for the non-handling....again, most breeders simply don't have the time to handle all their hatchlings, much less try to "socialize" them. And in the case of BP's especially, it's really not necessary. They're totally harmless as little babies, even if they are feeling defensive and look aggressive. Again, with a bit of patience and persistence on your part, you stand a high chance of having a laid back, easy-going pet that is safe for children to be around. (Supervised, of course!)

Hehe...ok....do disregard what I said about expos and shows.....I've only just now read where you live. Shipping is indeed the best option for you. That being said, there are a lot of really great folks that will be happy to set you up right and at a decent price as well. We know lots of them personally and will be glad to help you find someone willing to work with ya.

It's actually an '05, which may be why it is selling so inexpensively. (I'm assuming 05 means it was born in 2005. It's 256g.) It's really just the live feeding and non handling. (I'm assuming, again, that it is 2 years old and never been handled.)

I am not wanting to appear cheap, but don't want to overpay for a Normal, which most people don't seem to care for. I see some places selling Normal babies for 100 to 150, and that doesn't include shipping. (and these were males.) From what I have read on forums that is high.

Eventually I would love to have an albino!

If you know of some options, definitely throw some links my way. I've got the enclosure all set up and ready to go. My girls are very excited. We've been wearing daddy down for almost a year now! We had a State Fair here a bit ago, and I had to pry them away from the visiting reptile exhibit. My five year old was the first volunteer and practically lept on the stage to hold a baby Reticulated.

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Originally Posted by ChroniclesofYarnia

It's actually an '05, which may be why it is selling so inexpensively. (I'm assuming 05 means it was born in 2005. It's 256g.) It's really just the live feeding and non handling. (I'm assuming, again, that it is 2 years old and never been handled.)

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2 years old and only 256 grams? That might be a clue as to why its so cheap...

I have yearlings that are almost 1000 grams...the snake you are talking about is either a problem feeder or a snake that's never been fed...someone selling a snake that age at that size to an inexperienced buyer should be ashamed of themselves. I would double check on the age and size...that's really small for that age.

My mistake...the 1 in the description is off. I believe it is 1265...I hope. He said it doesn't eat weekly, though. I suppose that is normal for larger snakes.

shop the net for breeders, you should be able to find a baby that is eating frozen thawed. males usually cost a little less.



vaughn

Yes.... '05 means it was born in 2005. And 256g seems awfully small for an '05. It might also be a bit set in its ways as far as eating live....and given its small size, indicates it may be a really picky eater anyhow.

If I were you, I'd trust my instincts and pass on that one.

A lot of the websites you see for breeders are either not up-to-date...OR...they don't list prices for normals they may have available.

You could shoot a PM to Adam_Wysocki (of 8ballpythons) or Cueball (Chris, of VPI) or KLG (Kara of NERD)....those are great places to start...and if they can't hook you up, they can probably recommend someone who can.

Lastly, I would just say to not put too much weight on the $$$ involved. Not to say that we shouldn't budget and be reasonable...but don't worry about how you think others value "normal" BPs....rather, how much value do YOU place on them, and on the quality of pet you want for your family. Personally, I would not hesitate to spend $100-$125 (shipped) on a quality animal that I was confident would be a good fit for my family.

100 to 125 would be just fine for a good snake. It will be with us for quite a long time. I'd buy an albino right now if I didn't just have to buy curriculum materials.

I'll shoot those guys an email and check out their site. Thanks a ton!

Oh, and is it true that Males or more docile than Females, or is that a myth?

I'd say that's a myth. They're all pretty docile, as a general rule. That being said...there are always individual exceptions to the rules. :P

JLC, you are going to get me in trouble. lol. They have a male Het Albino at 8ball for 100.00, and my cogs are grinding about how I could breed it in a couple years, etc.

This snake stuff is a wee bit addictive. The more I read the more "ideas" I get. lol.

I picked up 3 females from Will at www.ectotherms.net. It was a good experience and a pleasure to do business with him. He has some pretty nice normals as well. But like said shop the web for something that calls to you.

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Originally Posted by ChroniclesofYarnia

JLC, you are going to get me in trouble. lol. They have a male Het Albino at 8ball for 100.00, and my cogs are grinding about how I could breed it in a couple years, etc.

This snake stuff is a wee bit addictive. The more I read the more "ideas" I get. lol.

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I'm afraid you've stumbled into a huge nest of Enablers here. :P And on that note....I'll tell ya that you can't get any better service or quality than from 8ball. (Of course...I'd say the same about VPI or NERD....and a few others I know...but since you mentioned 8ball first, he gets the kudos this time! :D )

if you're gonna spend $100 on a snake i would look at a male pastel. they are getting pretty affordable, and they can have some wild color to them. plus if you do end up going on the breeding train you will be one step closer to making some lovely morphs.

i got my female for $10 from Brock Wagner. since i was buying other snakes from him (a spider and a pastel) i didn't have to pay shipping. ultimately i received 5 snakes and paid one shipping charge. another female i got at an reptile expo for $30. and my very first snake came from a pet store and i paid close to $80. so prices can very ALOT depending on where you get them, so look around.

Well I'll be an awful enabler here and show you my own 100% het Albino male from 8Ball just so you know what you are looking at down the road. This is Malachi, an 05 male and a really great snake. He's a solid eater, came in beautifully well started by Adam and packaged so well the snake likely never had a clue it left one enclosure for another LOL.

Malachi as a baby getting ready to hunt his dinner....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ngFromHide.jpg

Malachi at 8 months of age....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...8MonthsOld.jpg

Malachi being held by our then 5 year old son....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...eyMalMay06.jpg

Malachi at 2 years of age....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...71021grams.jpg

Now if you'd like an Albino down the road, starting now with a nice baby 100% het male would be a fine start and they are certainly reasonably priced for a nice snake with that genetic potential and a reputable breeder backing that guarantee of genetics. At some point if you want to breed you could get the matching female to raise up (or start with a female now, if you prefer that option). Either way if you get a 100% het if you never breed, you have a lovely pet snake...if you decide to breed, you have a very nice start on it.

Whatever you decide, personally I'd say go with a breeder. Local pet stores are notorious for selling sickly baby snakes just unpacked from Africa and this time of year it's even worse. Some reptile shows are great, some aren't. For a newcomer you want it to go as smooth as possible and that tends to come, as far as I'm concerned, with a snake from a reputable breeder.

Also if you are concerned about live feeding and would prefer the snake started feeding f/t then be upfront about that and speak with the breeders you are considering and see if one either already feeds f/t or would consider switching the snake over for you prior to shipping to your home.

Honestly i would email breeders stating what you're looking for, a price range you'd like to be in, and a snake that is well started on f/t. prehaps someone can hook you up?

either way, once you start the fun don't stop!

You guys are horrible enablers! From the recommended guys I am getting around 50 for the snake and 50 for shipping, so I might as well shell out the other 50 to have options....right? GAH! I will have to fit another project into my knitting schedule now. My knitting money used to go to buying more yarn...I can see where it will be going now.

Off to email 8ball! They should give you commission Franky!

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Originally Posted by ChroniclesofYarnia

You guys are horrible enablers! From the recommended guys I am getting around 50 for the snake and 50 for shipping, so I might as well shell out the other 50 to have options....right? GAH! I will have to fit another project into my knitting schedule now. My knitting money used to go to buying more yarn...I can see where it will be going now.

Off to email 8ball! They should give you commission Franky!

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OT:
YARN! <3
i just found some of my old 'balls' and had to stave off from busting out the needle for another scarf or quilty thing *floofy warmness*

Hello and welcome to the site!!! This place will get you horribly addicted. And we will expect pics when you finally decide on a ball and have it home!!!

And I agree that males being more docile is a myth. I have an 07 female and she is just wonderful. Handles very well and has never once even tried to strike at myself or any of my kids. But at the same time every snake is different and has their own personality.

I bet it is beautiful where you live though!! I eventually want to move out into the middle of nowhere myself. Where I am at now, there's just too many people and traffic and noise, IMO. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChroniclesofYarnia

You guys are horrible enablers! From the recommended guys I am getting around 50 for the snake and 50 for shipping, so I might as well shell out the other 50 to have options....right? GAH! I will have to fit another project into my knitting schedule now. My knitting money used to go to buying more yarn...I can see where it will be going now.

Off to email 8ball! They should give you commission Franky!

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LOL nah, I'm just a very happy customer and consider Adam a good friend and a very reputable breeder. Our 6 year old son has a gorgeous male het Axanthic BP named Buddy, also an 8Ball baby. :)

Since you have to pay shipping anyway, I'd go for a CB 07 male pastel, can't cost that much more these days =)